Gates brilliantly written book differs from other books on Abraham Lincoln by (a) being true to the title and (b) by succeeding in showing the reader the inner thoughts and nature of Lincoln. The difference is that Gates does not carry out any logical arguments as to what could be inferred from the Lincoln material available today but he backs up ideas about Lincoln from his speeches and letters Lincoln wrote to his friends and relatives. Therefore, we have a book which can be said to be a historical chronicle of the facts without any bias or prejudice.

The book can be said to be divided into two main parts. The first is an essay by Banks on the subject and title, where he uses quotations,